The fifth BaliSpirit festival has concluded last week. Five days packed with offerings ranging from yoga and dance, to music and holistic medicine workshops, this year’s festival attracted the largest crowds yet in its history. Susan, yoga practitioner from the United States, sums up her experience of the festival: “There is a huge number of workshops, and so many amazing new things to try. But for me, the most important part was to meet so many like-minded people and to connect with the community.”

The international audience that flocked to Ubud to experience the BaliSpirit festival is part of an ever-growing international community of health- and environment-conscious yogis, musicians, and dancers. This year, BaliSpirit attracted more than 1,000 participants from the United States, India, South America, Australia, China, Japan, Western and Eastern Europe, and Africa. John Ogilvie, yoga presenter, festival sponsor and founder of Australia’s Byron Yoga Center, recognizes the galvanizing power of the festival: “There is an international community present at this festival. All of them will take ideas and inspiration from this festival back to their own communities.” In this way, global awareness relating to health and environmental issues grows. Spirituality, as Ogilvie points out, has to be practical. By building an international community, the maxim ‘Think Global, Act Local’ can become a reality.

The general atmosphere of the festival encouraged sharing and community, and presenters as much as the audience enjoyed the many new connections and shared experiences during the festival.  “To me, as a presenter, the festival felt playful and free and because we all join each other’s classes, Michael Hallock, Watsu teacher, explains. “Normally, as a presenter, I would be a ‘special’ person at an event, but here I was one of many. It was really humbling because I saw so much greatness around me, so much talent and creativity. I saw many people in the fullness of their expression. It was very inspiring and humbling.” Presenter John Ogilvie, who says he enjoyed the experience of switching roles from teacher to student when he joined workshops led by his world-renowned peers, shared this feeling.

Bali is an ideal location for the festival – the Balinese are natural yogis, who live their form of yoga on a daily basis. As devout Hindus, they perform offerings and ceremonies on a daily basis, and service to the community is the norm rather than the exception. Kadek Gunarta, co-founder of the festival, asserts, “We Balinese do yoga our whole lives. We do yoga every time we make an offering and every time we go to a temple. We are always trying to lift our consciousness.” It is this constant effort to maintain a connection to the unseen world that makes Bali such a magical and inspiring place for Western visitors. This atmosphere is amplified during the festival, as many workshops encourage participants to look inside, become more conscious, and open their hearts.  Or as self-proclaimed ‘badass’ yoga instructor Cheri Rae, from Peace and Love Yoga, Los Angeles, puts it: “You do yoga to become a better person. If you don’t – get out of my class and go do aerobics!”

In an effort to promote and include local presenters and audiences, this year, several Indonesian presenters added more local flavor to the festival. While the vast majority of yoga presenters were white Westerners, Indonesian presenters such as Jane Chen, Indrawati Widjanarko and Dewi Asmarani were welcome additions to this all-white line-up.  There is still some way to go, however, to make a truly inclusive festival, especially regarding the Indonesian audience. As a positive gesture, the festival offers one day with free access for everyone, and especially Balinese families, with special workshops organized for children, and yoga classes with Balinese village elders, amongst others. There is, however, no adjusted ticket price for Indonesian participants, which is reflected in the under-representation of Indonesians in the audience during the other four days of the festival.

Giving back to the community, as a yogic principle, is a major theme running through the festival, and is inspiring to Westerners who might be craving a deeper sense of community and connection in the materialistic and individualistic West. BaliSpirit festival might just be a small part of the growing movement of people seeking community and holistic lifestyles around the world, but its ripple effect through the inspiration it provides is larger than the festival. According to John Ogilvie, “If we can get enough people doing yoga around the world, it will be a better place” – a simple formula, which recognizes the capacity of the festival to inspire proactive change among its international guests.

One such ripple effect of the festival has been the inspiration it has provided for similar yoga and holistic health festivals that have developed around the world – such as the Namaste Spirit Festival held in Jakarta, the Byron Bay Spirit Festival in Australia and the Hawaii Spirit Festival. Founder and Chairwoman of Namaste Festival in Jakarta, Anita Boentarman, says that she was “inspired by the BaliSpirit Festival.” She further commented, “Yoga is not about competition, it’s about union and working together. We want to work more closely with the BaliSpirit Festival.”

One important aspect of the festival’s mission relates to the environment. BaliSpirit prides itself in its partnership with green organizations such as Bali Cantik Tanpa Plastik, Bali ReGreen and the Environmental Bamboo Foundation. It is also linked to the East Bali Poverty Project and donations collected on Hari Cinta Keluarga day are donated to Ayo! Kita Bicara HIV/AIDS, an NGO created by BaliSpirit to engage the local community in conversations and education about HIV & AIDS.

Pau Castellsague, yoga presenter and founder of the Barcelona Yoga Conference, insisted on the urgency for people to take positive action: “I feel a strong connection to nature here in Bali, it is very inspiring. But what we humans have done to nature is very sad. We suck! It is time to change. And I don’t mean it’s time for the intention to change. It’s too late for intentions. We need to make change happen, now.”

While the festival does take its responsibility for the environment seriously, as is exemplified in their waste recycling program and support of environmental organizations, it isn’t perfect. The presence of plastic spoons, chopsticks made from tropical forest wood, and a huge number of paper cups still mar the image of a fully environmentally friendly festival. The consciousness and will to limit the impact of the festival on the environment, however, is well present, and efforts to manage waste have constantly improved since the festival’s inception five years ago.

Overall, this year’s BaliSpirit festival was a successful and positive event, galvanizing an ever-growing community of people who crave positive change in the world. And besides this grand aspiration, it was also, simply, a lot of fun. With workshops ranging from many different styles of yoga, such as Hatha, Anusara, Yin, Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga, Acro and Kundalini, and lots of dynamic dance workshops, including Nia, 5 Rhythms, and the hugely popular West African Dance, there were plenty of opportunities for both for self-reflection and growth, as well as for good, plain fun, exhilaration, and booty-shakes! And while the Festival united some of the world’s most experienced yoga instructors, the festival welcomed beginners and the simply curious too.

Yoga is for everyone, and yoga should be fun, as Cheri Rae’s words bring it to the point: “Yoga should feel good.” And this is what this festival was about, most of all – feel good, do good.

We live in a fast paced world. Issues, problems and concerns are all easily forgotten, just as quickly as they appear. An issue becomes the center of attention only while the topic is hot.

Now, as 2011 comes to an end, social media in Indonesia is filled with stories of orangutans being slaughtered. But in a matter of weeks, it’s as if the issue was over. Orangutans are still at risk. Indonesia is still rife with deforestation, and land for palm oil plantations continues to expand without any significant resistance.

Palm oil companies actively implement greenwashing tactics to conceal the fact that they are the orangutans’ main enemy. This is the second effort to improve their image after their first tactic to convince people that palm oil plantations are part of “reforestation” efforts.

From Bali, as a participative alternative media, Akarumput.com put on the event “Orangutan – suara untuk alam II” (sounds for nature II), in partnership with Sawit Watch and Walhi Bali at Seaman’s Club Sanur, this December 17^th. The event started with a discussion “End of the Year Environmental Reflections” with Albert Nego Tarigan (executive director of Sawit Watch), Wayan Suardana known as Gendo (WALHI Bali), and Gede Robi Supriyanto (vocalist of Navicula).

Albert talked about the importance of stopping the expansion of palm oil plantations. “Palm oil plantations are competing with the livelihood of local residents and endangered species such as orangutan. In Aceh, Riau, and East Kalimantan, orangutans are slaughtered,” said Albert.

Albert also drew attention to the violence related to palm oil plantations in Mesuji, Lampung. Five people were killed during a conflict between the local community and the security personnel of a palm oil plantation. According to Albert this type of incident also occurs in other areas. “In Riau, a woman died because she was accused of allegedly occupying land owned by a large palm oil company. In Jambi, seven people were shot, and we have video footage of this,” said Albert.

After the discussion, the event moved to the stage with musical performances by the Listen, Balian, Nosstress, Geekssmile, and Navicula.

In between the performances, there was also an art auction of artwork with orangutan themes created by Balinese artists such as Made Bayak and ISI students are part of Komunitas Djamur. The funding raised was over Rp. 6,000,000, which was donated to WALHI Bali to support their environmental advocacy work.

The moment everyone had been waiting for was the release of Navicula’s latest single titled “Orangutan”. Navicula dedicated the song to encourage people to do more in orangutan conservation, to protect this endangered species. Robi wrote the song “Orangutan” in April 2011 as a track to be included on their Navicula’s new album, which will be released sometime next year. The song “Orangutan” is available for free download here.

Not only did they release a song, but Navicula also released a music video to the song “Orangutan”. Shots of the band performing live were edited together with shots from Green the Film. This documentary film by Patrick Rouxel follows the story of Green, a female orangutan who is on the verge of dying. The film needs no narration; it is a montage of both beautiful and heartbreaking footage.

Green is a victim of deforestation and exploitation of natural resources. This film is an emotional journey of a rare primate, alone in this world that is not on her side.

Photos by Vifick Bolang and Green the Film.

In one short year, Serambi Arts Antida has become the choice haunt for the young novice and seasoned doyen to socialize, theorize, and cultivate an already burgeoning Denpasar arts scene.

On Saturday (29/10) Serambi Arts Antida celebrates its one-year anniversary with a lineup of performing artists that suitably reflect Anom’s vision for an artistic mélange on the Serambi stage: Performers include dramatist and writer Cok Sawitri, two outstanding folk trios Nosstress and Dialog Dini Hari, 15-years-strong rockers Navicula, and several international guests, including tenacious hip hop emcee and long-term Bali resident Kamau and visiting American blues and soul guru Jim Larkin. One year ago Serambi opened its doors to local, national, and international performing and visual artists and their enthusiasts. In the last year, Serambi Arts Antida hosted some of the most talented and creative provocateurs through photograph and painting exhibitions, music album launches, education workshops, jam sessions, and poetry slams.

The cozy, open-air venue, partitioned into a warm bar and stage area and an inviting, spacious garden, is attached to the island’s best recording and production studio—and consequently boasts the best live sound mixing, a reputation which is attached to the name of the architect behind it all: Gung Anom.

Antida’s roots lie in a country thousands of miles away from Bali: Switzerland. Anom moved to Switzerland where his father was employed in order to study French, with the goal of becoming a French teacher in Bali upon his return.

But with only three months of French lessons at Alliance Francaise under his belt before settling in Europe, Anom faced an uphill battle gaining entry into Switzerland’s competitive school system. Eventually, after several months of intensive language studies, Anom managed to secure a spot at a college in Geneva, studying French and linguistics. During his studies he pursued his love of French—and met his true love and future wife.

Toward the end of his studies, Anom realized he had little interest in returning to Bali. He enjoyed his lifestyle in Switzerland, and particularly the creative community to which he had access in Geneva. He couldn’t imagine returning to Bali: a place that, to him, was still devoid of a thriving music and arts scene.

But newly married and with work and residency permits in hand, Anom now faced the hard truth that there was little he could do with a certificate to teach French as a non-native speaker living in Switzerland. “I still wanted to live in Switzerland, but I couldn’t work as a language teacher,” he explains. “My first experience in the recording studio was making coffee for the engineers and cleaning the studios,” Anom laughs. “Eventually, the engineers gave me a few lessons.”

So with no job prospects in the field of language teaching, Anom turned his attention to another: He enrolled in a state-run audio technician school and began freelancing as a sound engineer for television broadcasting, live outdoor productions, and theater. He worked everyday and attended audio theory classes once a week for two years before receiving his certificate and beginning work fulltime in sound reinforcement.

Anom opened a small, underground studio in Geneva, christened with the same name that signifies the high-end and expansive production studio now located on Jalan Waribang. He also explored other musical terrains: together with his friend, Pouney, he founded a French hip-hop duo called “Tout un Monde,” All The World. Anom was kind enough to offer a track from Anom vs Pouney for free download on Akarumput.com.

Click here to download

After thirteen years in Europe, Anom’s romanticism of life there began to wear thin, and he longed to return to the serenity he remembered in Bali. “It turns out that life in a foreign country isn’t as easy as we imagine,” Anom recalls. “Don’t think that everything there will be great. It’s actually really difficult, and I had to work so hard.” Anom and his wife left Switzerland behind and settled into Balinese life and Denpasar. “These days,” he says, “I’m much happier in Bali, much more comfortable.”

In 2004, Anom opened a tiny studio in a storefront space—the second location of Antida Studio—in front of Taman 65 on Jalan W.R. Supratman, which he subsequently filled to capacity with the audio equipment he purchased and brought back from Switzerland. He continued to freelance, mixing for live events, and he rented his studio for recording and production.

Finally, in 2007, with the help of a few wise investors, the third edition of Antida Studio opened its doors on Jalan Waribang. Antida Studio quickly gained a reputation for its international-standard recording equipment and expert recording, mixing, and mastering engineers. “The thing about sound reinforcement is that you really can’t study it in theory,” says Anom.

Today, as he nears fifteen years of experience, Anom’s services as a freelance engineer, as well as his studio, are in high demand. Balinese, national, and international recording artists ranging stylistically from hard rock and grunge to jazz, pop, world music, and gamelan have all recorded and produced albums at Antida. “Dangdut’s the only thing we haven’t recorded,” Anom says, chuckling. Anom has also sponsored and produced several artists, including Dialog Dini Hari and Nosstress. Anom says, “My dream is to start a record label under Serambi. I enjoy supporting bands who have great potential”

Anom hasn’t completely left Switzerland behind: he returns once a year to spend several days handling sound for large conferences and festivals. The time spent there—and the extra cash flow it provides—allows Anom to maintain his internationally competitive studio.

Anom has long contemplated making a more direct impact on Bali’s creative community. This desire became the impetus for breaking ground on Serambi Arts Antida. “Serambi Arts Antida is dedicated to developing and promoting contemporary art and culture of the local communities in Bali.”

He also hopes these local communities feel a sense of ownership over the space, and he is proud it has become a popular hangout, particularly for local musicians and their friends and fans. But he also wants to facilitate an experience of a wider diversity of art: “Bali has such a strong rock music scene, and that’s great,” he explains. “But I also hope young people can hear something new as well.” One of Serambi’s most popular music series has been their world music concerts. “I’m hoping that this kind of music can have a place in Denpasar, just like rock music. I want to encourage young people to hear and appreciate all kinds of music in an open, creative forum.”

With Serambi’s continued success, it seems that the creative community Anom appreciated so much in Geneva can now be found in his own backyard.

All photos by Rudi Waisnawa.

The compact Bar Luna in Ubud, Bali was packed for the opening of “Cerita dalam kaleng” last month with an unusual assortment of guests, including visiting tourists, long-term expatriate residents, Balinese painters, photographers from all over Bali and Java, and about ten prepubescent boys. This patchwork of patrons gathered to pay tribute to the oldest technique for capturing a portrait: the pinhole camera.

For the last three weeks the walls of Bar Luna have been adorned with enlarged photographs of Balinese Hindu offerings, street-side gutters, and self portraits, taken by the young students who attend Sanggar Anak Tangguh (Studio for Strong Children), a youth center founded by I Komang Adiarta and several other young educators in the village of Banjar Wangbung, Guwang in Sukawati. Students were taught the techniques for taking photographs with a pinhole camera by members of the photography collective Semut Ireng.

A pinhole camera is a simple device constructed out of a lightproof box with a small hole on one side that forms the aperture. Light passes through the aperture and projects an inverted image on the opposite side of the box. When film or photograph paper is inserted into the box, a duplicate image can be preserved. Pinhole cameras are the oldest documented devices for duplicating images and the ancestors of today’s modern cameras. Although Alhazen (Ibn Al-Haytham, who was born in the 10^th century in present-day Iraq) is credited with describing construction of the first rudimentary pinhole cameras, philosophers from China to Greece observed and documented naturally-occurring “cameras,” as light shone through the holes in a wicker basket. The first pinhole camera community in Indonesia formed in East Java in 2002.

Famed Indonesian photographer Rio Helmi also attended the event and offered some sound advice to the young photographers about the history of photography and the importance of their focus on such an art form.

Sanggar Anak Tangguh’s pinhole photographers constructed their cameras out of cans from their own rubbish bins, and Semut Ireng provided the photography paper and heavy, black tape used to cover the aperture of the can cameras. When asked how the children enjoyed taking photographs with their pinhole cameras, one boy replied, “we liked it because it was exciting, but we also didn’t like that we had to get so hot and disturb our lunch break.” The young boy was referencing the fact that pinhole cameras are most effective when used in direct sunlight.

The title of the exhibition, “Cerita dalam kaleng,” (Story inside of a can) was inspired by the concept of sending a message in a bottle, as Vifick Bolang of Semut Ireng explains. By choosing to use photography paper that must be developed in a dark room, rather than film, which will instantly produce a negative image, Vificki says “the students also learn patience and the pride that comes from the process of making something on their own.”

Sanggar Anak Tangguh was founded in 2007 by a group of educators in Sukawati. “We felt that the children’s education in schools was still lacking,” explains Adiarta, during an opening speech for the exhibition. “We want to provide them with supplemental skills.” Adiarta’s comments echo those made by Sanggar Anak Tangguh art teacher Made Bayak during the studio’s first pinhole camera exhibition at the Art Café in Seminyak two months: “The schools in our neighborhood don’t provide sufficient arts education, so we try to offer the kids classes that will make their studies more well-rounded.”

The students of Sanggar Anak Tangguh gather in the studio’s education buildings and lawn spaces every Sunday for lessons from the studio’s seven volunteers teachers in painting, music, dance, language, mathematics, and photography. In addition to this latest exhibit, the students have also prepared a massive mural in their home village.

In the era of computer graphics, ancient graphic techniques come as a pleasant surprise.

“What you see is what you get” may not sound that interesting. But the results of these graphic prints can be a happy surprise.

Happiness was the general feeling throughout the wood cut workshop with Jogja’s art collective Taring Padi at Taman 65 in Kesiman, Denpasar, on October 8^th. The workshop participants looked so happy, especially when lifting a woodcut print from their own t-shirt or piece of paper.

Happy surprise was the expression most people displayed when they first saw the results of their woodcut prints. Even though the prints were monochrome created with only black ink. But the the results were not so predictable: One print on two different shirts could be very different, depending on the thickness of the paint upon the woodcut surface. The method of pressing the woodcut upon the medium of cloth or paper also impacted the resulting artwork.

The woodcut leaves an impression on paper or cloth by pressure placed firmly on top of it. In this case, participants tread or jumped on their woodcuts. If  you don’t step long enough, the paint may be too thin or the image unclear because some sections of the media are not pressed as hard as others.

The woodcut leaves an impression on paper or cloth by pressure placed firmly on top of it. In this case, participants tread or jumped on their woodcuts. If  you don’t step long enough, the paint may be too thin or the image unclear because some sections of the media are not pressed as hard as others.

The workshop was opened by M. Yusuf from Taring Padi, who explained why this ancient graphic technique is perfect for creating propaganda media. To make posters using a woodcut, for example, one is able to maximize the number of prints that can be made from a single piece of wood.

Modern reproduction techniques are impersonal and require a relatively large number of printed copies in order to keep the prices reasonable. But with woodcuts, a person’s hand and the wood become the printing machine.

For collective community movements like Taring Padi, this independent reproduction method works well, because they do not need to involve external parties to reproduce their propaganda media, which would be like leaking the information before it is released. “Visually, a wood cut retains the human-touch, and it can be reproduced on all types of media. The size also isn’t limited to the size of a printing machine,” said Yusuf, who goes by the nickname Ucup.

The process of making a wood cut starts by sketching a work of art on a medium-density fiberboard or block board. The art needs to be created as if it is horizontal reflection in a mirror, where right becomes left and left becomes right. After that, the illustration is carved, using small-edged razor blades or woodcut chisels. There are a number of different types of blades which produce different effects when carving the wood surface. The section of wood that is not carved is what will be printed on the artwork medium, and the carved section of wood makes sure that the medium does not touch the paint.

Once the woodcut is carved, paint is poured onto a flat, smooth surface, like a mirror.  Then, the paint is smoothed out using a roller. The roller is then used to apply paint to the woodcut surface. Once the paint is evenly distributed, the woodcut is placed on top of the media in any position you like. The media should be placed on top of a flat surface, such as a flattened, used cardboard box.

When placed on the surface to be printed, the backside of the woodcut should be covered with a piece of used paper to make sure that the medium does not get dirty. Then apply pressure to the wood cut until you think the paint is evenly distributed. Voila! Enjoy the surprise underneath: a work of woodcut art.

The city of Denpasar, which is famously overcrowded, overdeveloped, and deficient of a proper waste management system, is finally seeing some much-needed eco-action at the grassroots level: In addition to the many public awareness campaigns organized by Denpasar-based Walhi (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia, the provincial branch of the Indonesian Environmental Forum), Akarumput, in partnership with the Bali International School and Pemuda Pakisaji (the youth coalition of the neighborhood of Pakisaji), took to the streets with buckets of paint and a single objective: To provoke community pride and environmental awareness in the heart of the urban jungle.

For three days Akarumput, supported by a team of artists, mostly from the Indonesian Institute for the Arts, Denpasar campus (Institut Seni Indonesia Denpasar) and young painters from the Bali International School gathered along bustling Jalan Pakisaji off Jalan Hayam Wuruk in southern Denpasar. Together, they brightened an otherwise dingy urban street with a decidedly eco message. They created an Eco Mural spanning more than 55 meters along one of the most highly trafficked roads in southern Denpasar. Jalan Pakisaji is the main artery for a broad network of neighborhood alleys that make up Perumahan Pakisaji.

Some mural highlights included a painting depicting a clear-cut wasteland and a devilish snail toting a water hose accompanied by the words, “The Government is Late, Our Forests are Wasted (Pemerintah Lambat, Hutan Tamat).” Another featured a modern take on mother earth, crowned with soaring skyscrapers choking the last straggling trees and flanked by two children in gas masks. Despite the gravity of its message, the mural wasn’t devoid of comic wit: One artist depicted young boys urinating on blossoming plants, capped with the slogan, “Save Water.”

Bali International School of Sanur donated the majority of the funds needed to purchase the rooftop paint used for the mural. “It’s so funny; I’ve never seen the students show such dedication during any of my lessons,” BIS instructor Kayti Denham explained, laughing. “They’re really getting the point of community action.”

Made Bayak, a Tampak Siring native, guitarist for hard rock band Geekssmile, and art instructor for Sanggar Anak Tangguh in Sukawati painted his portion of the mural with his five-year-old son, Damar. Bayak just wrapped a mural project with S.O.S., the Sumatran Orangutan Society, based in Ubud, Bali.

Pemuda Pakisaji were instrumental in the completion of the mural. Not only did they help provide production support, traffic control, and food and drinks for the artists; they also spent the three days before the artists arrived picking up all of the rubbish along the road to make it clean and ready for refurbishing.

“The main goal of an event like this,” explains Gede Robi Supriyanto, event coordinator for Akarumput and contributing artist for the mural, “is to make our neighors proud of where they live so that they’ll want to take care of it.” Robi also hopes that the mural, which has drawn a lot of attention from passersby commuting from work on their motorbikes, will slow down traffic around a dangerous blind curve on the road.

Farabi Music School, which is located on Jalan Pakisaji, also lent its support by providing equipment and performance space for an evening of live performances on the final day of activities.

While artists returned to Jalan Pakisaji over the next few days to add final touches to their work, the main program concluded Sunday night with plenty of arak, delicious fresh fish and plecing kangkung provided by Ibu Ngurah’s warung, and music performances by bands organized by Farabi, as well as hard rock bands Navicula and Geekssmile. Guna Qupitt of Nosstress, who is preparing for the launch of the band’s first album on 14 October at Serambi Arts Antida, also made a guest appearance.

All photos by Rudi Waisnawa.

In honor of the autumnal equinox, yoga practitioners throughout the world united for a weekend of yoga and charity fundraising in an event called the Global Yoga Mala Project. Here in Bali, the Yoga Barn and Taksu co-hosted a weekend of events in Ubud, Saturday and Sunday, 24^th and 25^th September, in support of local charities.

The Global Yoga Mala project was founded by American yoga instructor Shiva Rea as a way for yoga studios, ashrams, and foundations all over the world to join together for a collective yoga practice, organized around the sacred number 108. Mala refers to the 108 beads strung in a garland and used by many Hindu and Buddhist practitioners for prayer and the recitation of mantras. Participating organizations in the Global Yoga Mala Project often conduct 108 mantra recitations, kriyas or cleansing practices, or rounds of suryanamaskar (the salute to the sun: a series of twelve asanas or bodily gestures practiced at dawn and dusk by devotees as a way to give thanks for the life-giving sun). Held annually, Global Yoga Mala individual events are usually held in support of an environmental or social cause or to raise funds for a local charity.

Global Yoga Mala events at the Yoga Barn included a Hindu invocation and opening and closing ceremonies by Uma Inder, 108 rounds of suryanamaskar, Tibetan bowl meditation lead by Novara Soeharto, flying yoga (a lighthearted practice involving partner balancing asanas), and relaxing restorative yoga. In addition to 108 sun salutations, Taksu’s events included 108 recitations of the Aum mantra, tantra yoga, and meditation classes, as well as discounts on massage or spa services throughout the day’s activities.

The Yoga Barn and Taksu each pledged their support of local organizations: Proceeds from the Yoga Barn benefited the Bali Spirit Festival’s education outreach initiative Ayo! Kita Bicara HIV dan AIDS (Hey, Let’s Talk About HIV and AIDS), which has been instrumental in introducing their EduSpirit workshops for HIV/AIDS education in local high schools throughout Bali. Using an interactive and communicative approach, Ayo! workshop facilitators offer students an open dialogue workshop format to encourage free expression about HIV/AIDS and practicing safe sex, without the risk of social stigma.

Participants at Taksu’s Global Yoga Mala events helped to raise funds for Yayasan Bumi Sehat (Foundation for a Healthy Mother Earth), a non-profit, village-based organization that runs two by-donation community health centers in Bali and Aceh, Indonesia. This year, Bumi Sehat founder Robin Lim was selected as a CNN Hero by the news organization based in the United States. She is currently competing against nine other finalists for the title of “Hero of the Year.” If Lim wins, Bumi Sehat will be awarded a total of USD $250,000 to build a greatly needed new clinic. Supporters can vote for Lim here.

Denpasar-based rock band Geekssmile takes a shot at mindless patriotism with their latest single, “Indonesia.”

Geekssmile launched their latest single, “Indonesia (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah),” in late August to a packed Twice Bar in Kuta, supported by punk band Devildice and grunge/psychedelic rock outfit Navicula. The small venue was filled to capacity with fans of the three bands. By the time Geekssmile took the stage fans had overwhelmed the floor-level stage area, nearly toppling over mic stands and amplifiers and forming a raucous mosh pit in the center of the bar.

“Indonesia,” an instant crowd favorite at the Twice Bar launch, marks a stylistic turning point for the group, who have pared down their lineup to one frontman and moved on from Indonesian hardcore (reminiscent of American rap/rock), in favor of a combination of heavy metal and progressive rock. The single comes on the heels of the 2010 release of Geekssmile’s second studio album, Upeti Untuk Macan Indonesia (A Tribute to the Asian Tiger), which was highly praised in national underground scenes and the music press.

Geekssmile’s lineup and sound have changed since their formation in 2001, when they played mostly Rage Against the Machine and other rap/metal covers in local rock festivals. After the 2004 release of their first full-length album, Jurnal untuk Perang Indonesia (Journal of Indonesia’s Wars), the band became active in Bali’s underground scene, playing alongside some of the island’s best-known rock acts. Since their recording debut, Geekssmile have gained notoriety for the radical criticism embedded in their lyrics. The band offers scathing critique of national and global social, economic, and political problems.

Their latest effort, “Indonesia,” takes a shot at mindless patriotism. Geekssmile vocalist Prima explains, “many people feel that this is a nationalistic song, but in a good way.” Rather than joining other pop bands that have recorded overtly patriotic songs celebrating Indonesia, Geekssmile’s song takes a critical look at how nationalism can blind its citizens to social injustices: “We’re not really proud of this country because we’ve never felt secure and peaceful in our own land. So for us this song is a criticism of the people who are actually running this country. Prima hopes “Indonesia” will command attention like a slap in the face: “Where other songs try to make you feel at ease, we will slap you. We are trying to make you realize what kind of world we live in. What kind of state we live in now.”

Geekssmile launched “Indonesia” as part of a concert put on by Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI, the Indonesian Environmental Forum) to raise awareness about the infamous Bali International Park (BIP). BIP is a huge infrastructure planned for construction to accommodate the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit to be held in Bali in 2013. Walhi has publicly rejected BIP, pointing to violations of the province’s own master spatial plan.

“Indonesia” is available for free download here:

Lyrics “Indonesia” by Geekssmile:
(English translation,click here to read the Indonesian lyrics)

See this land through my eyes, not only red and white
There is black gravel asphalt, a history of silencing

Running to collide with reality, your mouth chews the stigma
Fall over the choices that are squeezed from our womb

Open your eyes

Pay your banker, pay your prostitute, pay your bookie; die again
Mortgage life, mortgage your land, sell the commodities as a hoax
This sound will reverberate when the trumpet arrives
This time the choice is yours, it’s slash and boundaries
I, if you

Chasing the shadow of a destiny that is not yours
Race toward the hope that rests in the idol called “country.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Indonesia, yeah, yeah, yeah.